Introduction to Ballast Water Management Convention

According to IMO estimates, ships carry some 3 billion tons to 5 billion tons of ballast water globally each year. The IMO developed and adopted “The International Convention for The Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004” (Ballast Water Management Convention) with the aim of protecting the marine environment from the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water carried by ships. The BWM Convention will enter into force on 8 September 2017.

The latest information of ratification status of the Convention can be accessed through "Recent ratifications" in IMO Homepage: IMO / English / About IMO / Conventions / Status of Conventions that allows downloading datasheet of each country.

International Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWMC)

By the effective date of the convention (8 September 2017), all ships of 400 gross tonnage and above to which the BWM Convention applies (including existing ships, except floating platform, FSUs and FPSOs) are required to possess International Ballast Water Management Certificate.

The below documents are to be kept on board not only ships applied with Regulation D-2 (ballast water performance standard) but also those with only Regulation D-1 (ballast water exchange standard). Since it is expected that a lot of initial survey applications for issuance of the certificate might be rushed into submission to ClassNK before 8 September 2017, please apply well in advance for the initial survey at the earliest opportunity for the smooth issuance.

(1) International Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWMC)
(2) Approved Ballast Water Management Plan (BWMP)
(3) Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB)

ClassNK implement initial survey to confirm that required documents and equipment are provided onboard, and issue the certificate (IBWMC) on behalf of some flag Administration. Also, prior to the initial survey, it is necessary that the onboard documents and revised drawing be approved; please submit them to ClassNK Machinery Department beforehand. For more details about the abovementioned plans, please refer to ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-1086. With regard to the survey application, please submit it to our site office in charge of the onboard survey.

Where a ship, which operates only in waters under jurisdiction of a single Party with their permission not to comply with the Convention, operates outside of the area of waters as defined on a single voyage (e.g. for a dry-dock etc.), an exemption may be granted for the ship on the condition that the ship performs ballast water exchange in accordance with an approved Ballast Water Management Plan. The details can be found in the following link:

Due date for Implementation installing Ballast Water Management System

On the 71th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC71) which was held on July 2017, the application schedule of Regulation D-2 (ballast water performance standard) in the convention had been reframed. As the result, the amendment of Regulation B-3 was approved, taken into account of the presupposition that dockyard capacity for retrofitting the system may fall short of the peak demand. The approved amendment is expected to be adopted at MEPC 72 which will be held on April 2018. For more details about the implementation schedule, please refer to ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-1116.

Ballast Water Management System should be approved by Administrations in accordance with IMO Guidelines (G8/G9) to comply with the Regulation D-2 standard of the Convention. Approval (G8 and G9) list of Ballast Water Management System can be found in the following link:

For ships engaged in U.S. waters, the Installation of the Ballast Water Management System is to be approved by United States Coast Guard (USCG). The latest information of the approval of Ballast Water Management System by USCG can be found in USCG Homepage:

Circulars regarding De-harmonization/Re-harmonization of the IOPP renewal survey issued by Flag States

The ballast water management system is required to be installed associating with the IOPP renewal survey of each existing ship (see ClassNK Technical Information No. TEC-1116). The circulars issued by some Flag states indicating the possibility that the IOPP renewal survey may be decoupled from the Harmonized System of Survey & Certification System (HSSC) and the resuming of original IOPP certificate is posted below.

Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention

De-harmonization of the IOPP Renewal Survey

Instructions to Class concerning the application of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 and de-coupling of the IOPP certificate from the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC)